Three Strategies For A Divided Multitude In Unbelief

Three Strategies For A Divided Multitude In Unbelief

(Wisdom, Wonders, and Signs)

by

Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (9/25/2013)

“Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (St. John 4:48, King James Version, KJV [The ruler's son healed]).

“For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom” (I Corinthians 1:22, KJV [The wisdom of God]):

Greetings In The Name of Jesus,

How about that faith! Sometimes a person can imagine in their mind that someone wronged them. A wrong that he/she perceived in their heart that is far greater than any wrong received in the heart of others. This is not true. It is not truth!

However, for some reason they feel the love that they felt in their heart was a far greater love than the love felt in the heart of others. This also is not true. It is not truth! Apollos told Apostle Paul about the conflicted hearts within the church of Corinth (I Corinthians 1:11,16,17, KJV):

“For it hath been declared unto me of you,

my brethren, by them which are of the house of

Chloe, that there are contentions among you,...

And I baptized also the household of Stephanas:

besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach

the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the

cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”

Assuredly their thought process, probably explained, “My broken heart held greater significance to me than your broken heart held significance to you”. How could this be true? This is not truth! Paul expounded Christian doctrine because of the erroneous (errors) views in the church: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

Simply saying, the errors in their heart spoke volumes, “I feel more about myself than I feel for anyone else. I have difficulties when I have to think about others more than I feel I need to think about myself. I just cannot do it. I cannot consume myself with others and their desires. I am too obsessed with my needs and my desires.”

Quite naturally, “I feel I experienced; I felt a greater love and as a result I felt a greater pain, a greater hurt, a greater broken heart. If, their heart was broken, then, my heart was shattered! This is not truth! This is what we deal with everyday. How can I cope with my pain and understand your pain?”

In, The First Epistle Of Paul The Apostle To The Corinthians (1:10 – 4:21), he discussed (1) facts of division, (2) causes of division, and (3) cure for division; wherein, he defended the apostleship, which was given to him through a revelation, from Christ, by teaching them the wisdom of God, explained his manner of preaching, and his feelings that apostles, who were “set forth by God, last; appointed to death, were no more than “a spectacle to the world”. In Paul's words, his feelings also revealed pain. So, how can I cope with my pain and understand your pain? How can I do it?

2

Hypothetically speaking, in all honesty, a person must consider their human frailty:

“I am too shallow. I cannot even go there,

with you. When you speak of your pain to me, I

cannot even go there. I am so consumed with my

pain. I cannot even go there, with you, to have

compassion for you.

I cannot think past myself. I just cannot

do it. I think it is a waste of my time, to think

beyond myself. I am so consumed with myself.

And, even, if, I see that you, too, then, are

shattered, with all the criteria that I give to being

shattered: broken in spirit, broken in reflection,

broken in will, broken in love; shattered, yet, I

cannot go there, with you. I cannot get beyond

myself.

And, if you cannot understand why I

cannot understand what you are going through.

I do not care. I just cannot go that distance

with you. And, I cannot have compassion, for

your journey, for your pain, for your hurt, I am

too consumed with me. I cannot be your

neighbor.

I cannot be, who God willed me, to

be. I AM IN DENIAL. You see, right there,

right at that point, in my thought process,

when I said I could not be, who God willed

me, I am either placing myself as having,

either a greater will than God or no will at

all, and if it is no will at all, truly, death